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Najivano
The isthmus between Idroslekh and eastern Kerlonna has been a crossroads for millennia, the great bridge between two cultural worlds of mankind. Naturally, a crossroads becomes a place of both conflict and trade. During the long peace of the Marnic Federation, however, the peoples upon the isthmus came to devote the entirety of their energies towards mercantile endeavours. The settlements at Najvirianul eventually became a crowded, jumbled mass of many different cultures and races, all vying to earn their fortunes here at the Crossroads of Kerlonna, where about anything can be bought and sold if one knows where to look. The extravagant merchant-princes (called “the Estate” by themselves and “the Marble-Men” by the low people) dwell in palaces fit to rival the villas of the old Marnic days, while above them the Satrap sits in his palace, ever-balancing factions and treaties to ever ensure that Najivano remains the golden heart of the known world. Founding Year As a settlement of trade, the Crossroads has existed since prehistoric times. The Satrapy of Najivano became an independent nation in FY 20, upon its recognition by the Three Kingdoms. Capital Najivano proper. Geography The Satrapy covers an area of approximately 20,000 square kilometres, running 175 kilometres north to south and 150 kilometres west to east. While miniscule in comparison to any of the Three Nations, it maintains its economic might through its unique position upon an isthmus. The Akulap Sea lies to the north, while the Gulf of Dakhoiit’ lies to the south. The isthmus itself is a low, flat plain, with marshy coastlines and rich mud that promotes consistently fruitful harvests. The Satrapy is one of the most tamed regions of Kerlonna, with only a few stands of forests still standing (all of them belong to various merchant-princes who go on deer hunts in the autumn), and roads, many Marnic-built but quite a few built since the Fall, indicating the plenitude of skilled labourers to be found within the Satrapy. The rural region surrounding Najivano proper is peppered with prosperous agrarian villages, windmills, and canals. Outsiders tend to associate the name “Najivano” with the bustling city, and are thus are often taken aback by the peaceful orderliness of the townships beyond. Originally, two independent cities stood besides Najivano, one on the Akulap coast and another on the Dakhoiit’ coast. However, both were destroyed by the orcs during the worst period of the Satrapy’s struggle against them, and after the Great Orc-Wars ended, the ruins stood empty for almost sixty years. However, in FY 64, both were rebuilt in a major reconstruction project, but were renamed, so as to indicate the new era of Najivani history. In a dearth of creativity, the ports were named Northport and Southport, for the Akulap and Dakhoiit’ coasts, respectively. Today, they are busy harbours: at Northport, goods from northern Idroslekh and Sraiyag Vacan are handled, while at Southport, the Ishkula typically circumvent a tiresome land journey by bringing their goods by sea. Although both ports are quite small compared to Najivano proper, they are nonetheless wealthy, and remarkably clean despite being seaports. Eversnow Najivano proper is so sprawling a city that it has been divided into a large number of districts that are so distinct that each is rather like an independent city in itself. At the top of a hill at the centre of the town is Eversnow, named for the plethora of marble buildings upon it that, when seen shining from afar, rather make it seem as if the hill is perpetually cloaked in winter. Eversnow is the home of the Estate and the Satrap, and is surrounded by a substantial wall meant to enforce boundaries of prosperity, keeping out all but those who have been invited, and the most powerful foreigners, who can simply demand entry with the threat of a diplomatic incident. It is a place of sprawling private grounds, immaculately kept streets, magnificent architecture in an antique style, and ferociously backbiting politics. At the heart of Eversnow is the Palace of the Satrap, which rivals that of the Vacani royalty for sheer opulence. The Old Markets To the west of Eversnow lie the Old Markets, which mainly consists of a dusty open plain that has been used for eons as a bazaar. Here goods are sold directly to interested buyers in a clamour of foreign tongues, and the stench of the filth of horses mingles with perfumes and incense. The Old Markets are a daunting place, where every one of the speaking peoples can be seen in less than a week. Though, of course, humans predominate, whole halfling caravans are known to settle in the Old Markets and exiles from the dwarves and gnomes seem drawn to the place. Half-orcs often find recruitment as guards here, as well. Despite the chaotic atmosphere, there is very little crime in the Old Markets, due to the all-pervasive presence of guards who are not afraid to kill thieves where they stand. In fact, the Old Markets is one of the safest areas of the city, especially if one is being pursued, for to vanish into the crowds is but a matter of taking a walk. Most merchants in the Old Markets dwell within their tents, with guards being posted through the night to protect the sleepers and their sealed treasures. The Strangers' Quarter In a long crescent from the Old Markets around to the northeastern edge of Eversnow lies the Strangers’ Quarter, sealed by a broad, encircling road. Within lie embassies of the Three Nations, and non-citizens of the Satrapy are allowed permanent residence, so long as they have explicit permission from the authority of their nation’s diplomats. The Strangers’ Quarter is further divided into various areas depending on ethnicity, and all people build in their native architectural style. For informal meetings between Ishkula and Sraiyag Vacan, the Strangers’ Quarter is the preferred location: since it is saturated with foreign soldiers, spies are very cautious about operating within this area of the city. The Guild also maintains a hall here, one of the largest in the world beyond Cil Adasiga and certainly the largest outside of the Three Nations. The New Markets East and southeast of Eversnow is home to the New Markets, which are quite unlike their counterpart but even more profitable. Here, houses of commerce, warehouses, and loading stations for caravans are found in abundance. Goods brought in large shipments by sea are brought from Southport and Northport to this area of the city, where they are processed and sent on delivery. Major transactions of bulk goods are done here, as well as (occasionally) secretive deals that would be inappropriate for the open air of the Old Markets and the refined heights of Eversnow. The New Markets were developed in the fifth century MY, and were expanded during the second century FY, hence their name. The Warren South of Eversnow is the Warren, which is the residential district of the city. It is named for its madly winding streets, packed with a whole melange of races and peoples. Despite the dark reputation that Najivano often receives in foreign lands, the Warren itself is quite safe. It is ruled by a Mayor, who is elected by the Satrap from a list of candidates sent to Eversnow by the elders of the Warren. The Warren is generally welcoming to outside merchants who wish to sell their goods directly to the people of Najivano, but the goods in which they are interested are typically fairly mundane: metal cutlery and glassware, and perhaps a hogshead of Drecitoun ale for a wedding. The Warren is a close-knit community, and extremely welcoming to any newcomers willing to subject themselves to the mayoral law. Quite often, former fugitives from foreign nations can be found settled in the Warren, where the Mayor has signed a pardon for their crimes elsewhere. The Dagger-Fen Farther north beyond the Strangers’ Quarter lies the Dagger-Fen, the criminal heart of the city. Here, the cruel stereotypes of Najivano as a den of corruption finally ring true. Here, “dream-halls” offer plentiful use of Sutiji opium, whores flaunt themselves from open windows, and, after dark, alleys sometimes are splashed in the blood of a criminal who has fallen into disfavour with his brethren. The Dagger-Fen is generally accepted to be a necessary evil within Najivano, a place where all the depravity and immorality can be concentrated, thus keeping it out of the more law-abiding areas of the Warren and the Markets. The buildings are crowded and dark, with sunlight not reaching the streets until shortly before noon. It is squalid and oppressive, a place of misery, but the Satrap tolerates it. The rulers of the Dagger-Fen are the Sisters Three, a group of mildly deranged “witches”, who command some sort of strange magic, although whether it is arcane or divine is unsure. Population & Demographics The population of the Satrapy is constantly in flux with the comings and goings of the merchant caravans, but the citizenry is a rather more stable and reliable count of inhabitants. If one discounts the merchants altogether and focuses solely on the numbers of citizens and slaves within the Satrapy of Najivano (of all races), there are five hundred and fifty thousand people, some one hundred and fifteen thousand of whom live within Najivano proper, making it one of the great cities of modern Kerlonna. The demographics of this populace are the most varied in the world: gnomish, dwarven, elven, and krolgashi exiles; half-elves and half-orcs; humans and halflings; a group of Nyadegtaan soldiers; and even a small family of Duhumor in the Warren, for some reason. Rarely are formal censuses undertaken in Najivano. Although the population is certainly a majority of humans, here all the races mingle with trustful ease, for the common cause of money and comfort unites them more than differences of bloodline and language divide them. The Satrap is a perfect example of this plurality: Furdail Crow-Eye is a gnome born to exilic parents in the human city of Davnost. In terms of human ethnicity, the people here are firstly K’usar and Döz-Idros, but Marnic, Ishkula, and Janhlira are not difficult to find, and even Qãnvilu, Parumya, and Injili show up occasionally. Economy If it were not for the free flow of goods and coinage, Najivano as we know it would not exist. Its two financial districts, the Old and New Markets, are the largest in Kerlonna, and every year tens of thousands of merchants flock to this city from even the most far-flung regions to trade in both necessary and luxury goods. However, often this trade does not occur between the Najivani and the foreigners, but rather between different groups of guests. For example, Vacani merchants often come to Najivano to trade with the Ishkula, offering wine, lead, and glassware in exchange for perfumes, bloodwood, and spices. However, caravans are also known to sell their goods to Najivani traders and return home, not being able to wait the amount of time necessary to unload their stock. Manipulating the prized fact of their location, the merchant-princes levy taxes on various forms of mercantile activity. Furthermore, many inns are established near both Markets, drawing in a great deal of income by providing pampered merchants with the most luxurious accommodations to be found anywhere outside of the ranks of the nobility of the Three Nations. Economic activity here has few limitations. Slaves are openly traded, despite the official disapproval of Sraiyag Vacan and Ishkula. Fragments of dragon-bone, worth twice their weight in gold, are brought from the Great Western Dakylsthas by grizzled adventurers. It is rumoured, in addition, that disguised Sutiji bring incense and narcotics from their dusty homeland, despite the official law against any Sutiji within the Satrapy. Beyond the City Beyond Najivano proper, the plain of the isthmus extends in a rough circle, and this is quilted with fields of grain, orchards, and vegetable gardens. The Satrapy is entirely self-sufficient in its need for food (although the men of the Estate often order tropical fruit from Ishkula for their banquets) and the rural communities that surround the city are happy to be protected by the Najivani military in exchange for a substantial portion of their crops. These communities see relatively little of the merchants, but occasionally a caravan may stop outside of the city and take advantage of this untapped market. The farmers of the Satrapy are remarkable in that the majority of them are freemen working on the Satrap’s land, and a quarter of them are freemen working their own land. Most of the Satrapy’s farmers are descended from refugees and exiles who have flocked to the region over the past two centuries, and a number of them are in fact serfs who have fled from Varpus, looking to earn their freedom elsewhere. In the Satrapy, it is found generally that freemen work harder than serfs do, because they are able to keep excess money that they earn, which they will then invest into their land and homes, creating a virtuous circle of profit for both themselves and the Satrap as landowner. The Najivani often have surplus grain and export it during bumper crops to swell their cavernous coffers. Degenerate Leisures Gambling houses and brothels are common and profitable enough that more than once, the Malkerian royalty of Sraiyag Vacan have ordered soldiers stationed in the Strangers’ Quarter to be whipped en masse for attending such places during times of duty. Due to an overall laxity of moral fibre, there is comparatively little societal blame upon prostitutes and gaming men. It is a well-known matter that several men of the Estate personally maintain “secret gardens”: courtesans’ establishments that are only open to the nobility and are famed for their music and drug use. A Mercenary Tradition Finally, a major export of Najivano is its own soldiers. The warlike Idroslekhi on the west coast of the Gulf of Dakhoiit’ often resolve their clan conflicts by recruiting Najivani forces, and when Varpus is having a particularly unpleasant year of orc-raids, the city will often request several thousand Najivani men to keep the peace. In the past, constant conflicts between Šekĩn, Eyuskalo, and Nãntoru were a consistent blessing to those merchant-princes who specialise in mercenary endeavours, but with the advent of Ł’eŕ Grimţooģ and his Peace of the Tiger, there has been no demand for such soldiers. However, it seems that recently, a faction of the Estate has arisen that fully intends to unseat “the Mongrel King” and bring instability back to central Idroslekh. Their coldly cynical purpose for this course of action is to necessitate the presence of their mercenaries in the region once more. This dangerous strategy, however, could potentially spark disaster for the Satrapy: never before has it been directly involved in war with a foreign power, and the King of Eyuskalo is, without question, the most powerful man in Idroslekh. However, for now, the Najivani are content to export their mercenaries elsewhere: it is perhaps their single most profitable activity. Government & Foreign Relations The Satrapy of Najivano originates with the establishment of the region as a district of the Marnic Federation about five hundred and fifty years ago. At the time, the Marnic Senates understood that Najivano was too influential a place to be relegated to a subject of one province, and instead it was established as an “autonomous territory,” to be ruled by a satrap who would be directly elected by the governor of the neighbouring province to the east. It continued in this manner until the Great Orc-Wars, when the provincial system collapsed as the legions were scattered by orcs. The then-Satrap of Najivano, Simvara (later to be called “the Great”), knew that no longer would he be able to count upon the guidance and support of the Federation as he had before. If his office were to survive, he would have to rely on Najivano itself. Therefore, the native wealth of the city, as well as the power of its merchant-princes, became his new support. Rather than ruling with the authority of distant Marnoz, the Satrap won the support of the merchant-princes with a new code of succession: the Satrap would choose his successor from among the Najivani. The Estate would rule as a de facto nobility (albeit based more on wealth than on bloodlines), contributing funds to hire mercenaries who would guard and police the city in the absence of Federal legionaries. Today, the line of the Satraps has continued unbroken since Simvara the Great, and though the world beyond Najivano has changed greatly, the Estate remains strong in its palaces of Eversnow. The unique advantage of the Satrap, as compared to the hereditary monarchs of the Three Nations or the elected monarchs of Idroslekh, is that he elects his successor. Because of this, the Marble-Men constantly scheme and conspire against one another to win the Satrap’s favour, but they dare never move against the ruler himself, but only seek to ingratiate themselves to him. The Satrap thus has uncontested power over Najivano, for if any members of the Estate were to turn hostile to his reign, the other merchant-princes would gladly work to win the Satrap’s favour by destroying such traitors. Of course, this presupposes that the Satrap is always competent: happily, the Satraps have generally been men of strong willpower, who desire the good of the realm far more than their personal satisfaction. The Satrap’s authority is such that around three fifths of the Satrapy (and three quarters of the land beyond Najivano proper) is considered his personal property, rented out to various individuals. He has authority to name the Mayor of the Warren, to approve or deny proposals by village councils in the rural districts, and to review deployment of the Najivani military in mercenary capacity abroad (and forbid it, but this power is only very rarely exercised). He often goes travelling beyond Najivano to treat with foreign allies or rivals, and because of the unquestionably great influence that he has over the flow of trade in Kerlonna, is often treated as being only a few steps below the royalty of the Three Nations in power and prestige. Najivano has diplomatic relations with almost every civilised people in the known world. The people of Taresani are rather too distant to be included, but otherwise, even the Drecitouns maintain a strong diplomatic presence in the Satrapy. In fact, Drecitou has rather a better relationship with the Crossroads than Sraiyag Vacan and Ishkula do, as the Drecitouns are not particularly distressed by the fact that slavery is still practiced and legal in Najivano. However, due to the proximity and military importance of Sraiyag Vacan, it is generally with the Malkerian bloodline that the Satraps have had the most dealings. Indeed, within the Palace of the Satrap there is a small wing specifically set aside for the Vacani monarch whenever they should come visiting, and likewise there are rooms specifically for the Satrap at the palace in Oksyrs and the Malkerian rural estate of the Kutyätr. The only people with whom the Satrapy has a decidedly negative relationship are the Sutiji, due mainly to the Najivani practice of renting out soldiers as mercenaries. In FY 105, Nevaiallan hired out twenty-five hundred Najivani soldiers in anticipation of a Sutiji attack, and these soldiers they used to devastating effect: a Sutiji Fang-Lord was felled in combat, beheaded by a Najivani footman. Galled by this dishonour, a year later the Sutiji withdrew all their current merchants in the Satrapy and then sent forth ten assassins, who, disguised as merchants, won an audience with the Satrap, whom they then slew. The surviving assassins were publicly flayed, and the Satrap’s successor (named in his predecessor’s will) sealed their borders against all Sutiji traders, condemning any who were discovered to the same fate as the assassins. In the years that have passed, the Satraps have seen no reason to reverse this policy, as Taur’Sutij has grown ever more aggressive against Nevaiallan and has proven that it only aspires towards conquest and destruction in Kerlonna: both of which being, of course, horrid for business. Culture Can one ascribe a single culture to such a confluence of thought, races, and aspirations? Certainly, modes of speech, dress, cuisine, and worship vary tremendously among inhabitants, but if one declares that there is a common Najivani spirit, in that at least one would be quite correct. Rather unfairly, many moralists of foreign extraction have assessed that the Najivani are simply motivated by cupidity, and that the only thing that animates the average Najivani man to rouse himself every morning is the thought of material gain by which he may elevate himself among his fellows. There is little doubt that indeed, the Najivani do strive hard to better themselves, and some certainly are sunken in avarice. But the motivation of the Najivani people, by and large, is more subtle than that by far, and can be traced back to their refugee heritage. By far the majority of the inhabitants of the Satrapy today either are first-generation immigrants, or are descended from such lineages. Whether they have fled from the internecine wars of Taur’Sutij and Nevaiallan, the tribal wars of the Qãnvilu, or even, with a few families, from the recent civil war in the Twelve Isles that destroyed House Elthorian, these refugees have come to see the Satrapy of Najivano as a unique place of refuge. While Sraiyag Vacan and Drecitou are happy to accept refugees as citizens, they both demand that such refugees accord with a certain ideal: in Sraiyag Vacan, worshipful faith in the personage of Yenatar Malkerian and all that he stands for; in Drecitou, the glorification of the legacy of Marnoz and a love for all that is associated with it. Najivano makes no such demands on its people, and accepts them as they are, so long as they are willing to abide by laws and accept the authority of the Satrap and the Estate. Such impassivity is not always a good thing: the Najivani, for example, are little distressed by slavery, and do not care much about the fact that Amvidra’s new queen is a scheming madwoman, so long as trade can continue with her. Ethnic loyalties, too, matter little when the nation in which one lives is a blend of all ethnicities one can imagine, as well as nonhuman races besides. No apocalyptic vision of future invasion haunts them as it does the Ishkula. No state religion binds them as it does in exotic Tefaruq or the new, theocratic Eädreñ. The Free Folk What, then, motivates the Najivani if they are not driven by the powerful ideology of Drecitou and Sraiyag Vacan, nor ethnic loyalties, nor visions of future and faith? In a word, what motivates the Najivani is precisely the lack of such obligations. They are the consummate individualists, free to pursue their own destinies as they come. This does not mean that the Najivani are egoists and selfish: some are, while others are gentle and benevolent folk. What is common between all Najivani, rather, is that they have a strong sense of independence as a people, and that the best end to be pursued, rather than some sort of overarching ideal, is the betterment of this very life. In this, they actually have a certain commonality with the austere practice of ta’Ullami monasticism, which aims at the total liberation from suffering in this present life. However, the Najivani are not so determined or mystical as the ta’Ullami, and instead, they pursue their betterment most manifestly through the pursuit of material gain. Compared to most low people of the world, the Najivani commoners have an extremely high standard of living, due precisely to this pursuit. Their interest in wealth is not solely due to the pleasures it can provide, but also because wealth is seen as a guarantor of independence and personal freedom, which the Najivani value so highly. Some, more philosophical Najivani may grow to see wealth as almost as terrible a slaver as poverty, and will renounce excessive wealth in favour of contemplation, but such people tend to be religiously driven and are thus guided by the ideals of the teachings to which they subscribe. The Matter of Blood Such interest in self-determination may seem contradictory when one considers the fact that the Najivani do not object to the keeping of slaves, but what must be considered is that their policy towards slaves is actually quite specific. Any child born to a slave is to be considered a free citizen of Najivano, and if an individual is a slave due to birth when brought to Najivano, they are freed. The only enslavement that is practiced in Najivano is that of criminals. The Najivani feel that such slaves were free to make their choices, and they made such a choice as to necessitate that future choices be made for them. They find the idea of children being slaves to not only be abhorrent, but fundamentally irrational: why punish the child simply for the vagaries of birth? Generally, the Najivani have little patience for notions of inheritance. The men of the Estate reach their glorious wealth not through the vagaries of inheritance, but through struggle for their station. Low people are not created by their blood, but rather by their lack of ambition for political status and wealth, being content to work the land or labour in the streets. Tolerance Furthermore, the Najivani are tolerant because they understand that every individual must pursue his or her own choices. Choices that are harmful to the individual should be learned from, while choices that are harmful to others are to be forcibly restrained. As such, the Najivani see no reason to judge or criticise the customs of foreign peoples or their religions, simply because they are strange and unusual. Of course, living for many years in contact with many foreign customs means that the Najivani eventually become desensitised to oddness. Religion There is no state religion in the Satrapy, due mainly to the fact that it sits upon the frontier between ta’Ullami Idroslekh and Ronosai. Though there are occasionally philosophical confrontations between the two (mainly when ta’Ullami monks are challenged to public debate by young and hot-headed Ronosai priests), the nonviolent nature of Sahullam and the moderate nature of Ronosai practiced in Najivano (as compared to what one finds in Sraiyag Vacan, to say nothing of Eädreñ) are such that there are almost never incidents of real unease between the two. Najivano is a place of religious freedom for all, with the minor exception of the Sutiji and their human sacrifice. Religious practice in Najivano often has no clear-cut boundaries, with interreligious marriages in the Warren, various different gods venerated by the Marble-Men, and even an unofficial taboo upon the Satrap publicly pronouncing what faith he keeps. Indeed, during the ceremony of the Satrap’s instalment in his office, all three major religions of Kerlonna are invoked at the same time, with no preference shown for any. Religious extremism is simply not in the nature of the Najivani. While certainly an extremist may travel through the city at one time or another, the city is too tolerant to be a real refuge for such attitudes. If a bigot were to settle in the Satrapy, he would either change his opinions over time, or eventually abandon the place in disgust. The people of Najivano, whether of the low people or the Estate, have no patience for such nonsense, as to them, it seems like the same foolishness that they have so often tried to escape from in the Three Nations. Language Although a state religion may be missing in Najivano, by necessity there must at least be a de facto official language. In this case, rather than using the dialects of Vulgar Marnic that distinguish Sraiyag Vacan, the Tlankuram, and Drecitou, the language that has come to dominate Najivano is a strange and exotic creole with influences mainly from K’usaran, Idroslekhi, and Vulgar Marnic influences, although also with Ishkula and Qãnvilu influences. Its variegated lexicon is mainly built upon an Idroslekhi and K’usar foundation, while the fundamental grammar is mainly Vulgar Marnic in form, albeit simplified. The phonemes of the language are primarily K’usar in nature, although the Najivani are also accustomed to the nasalised vowels that are considered characteristic of the Idroslekhi language. This dialect, known colloquially as “the Golden Tongue,” is usually taught in tandem with ancestral dialects of the particular individuals involved. Merchants of Najivano, besides the Najivani language, are also expected to master, at least adequately, a variety of tongues from the principal human realms of Kerlonna. The Najivani language is rendered in the Marnic script, although Idroslekhi characters can also be found within the city proper. History In the dim, pre-Marnic past, the isthmus between Idroslekh and eastern Kerlonna was known as Najvirianul among the K’usar, meaning “tall-grass swamp,” referring to the sodden nature of its soil and the profusion of native flora. Trade between the Döz-Idros and K’usar peoples had been cultivated here since before the advent of writing, although for the most part the traders were peripatetic, coming only during the dry season when no work was to be done in the fields back home. For a long age, there were contests to control this lonely scrap of land, on the frontiers between two of the great cultures of Kerlonna. It was through Najvirianul that, in the 180s PMY, that the Heart-Plague was transmitted, sowing chaos and death throughout the southern regions of the continent and prompting the complete isolation of northeastern Kerlonna from the south for three centuries. Many would-be conquerors saw Najvirianul as one of their most tactically important, though least glorious, prizes, for it was even then a great source of wealth to be the tax collector for the merchants at the isthmus. However, the nations of antiquity rarely managed to possess the isthmus for very long, for it had a way of wriggling out of their grasp and returning to its former status as a firmly neutral territory. Matters stood thus until the Marnic conquest. When, in the aftermath of its glorious triumph over the drow of Zresskeilt in MY 194, the Marnic Federation began its second phase of rapid expansion, the plains of the K’usar were the first territory to be invaded by the Legions, in MY 202. This was the most rapid of the Marnic acquisitions, and by MY 207, the majority of the territory was firmly under Federal control. As the Legions approached Najvirianul, an assembly of Döz-Idros and K’usar chieftains invited the Marnic generals to discuss the possession of the isthmus with diplomacy rather than weaponry. The Marnics were keenly aware of the wealth to be had by any who possessed the isthmus and its markets. At the same time, they did not wish to risk a death struggle against the Döz-Idros, who would strive to ensure that the territory remained neutral, at such a time when their control of the K’usar had only just been established. The Döz-Idros, in turn, recognised the implacable nature of the Federation, and knew that they could not stave it off forever. Therefore, the two sides signed an accord agreeing to an armistice between the people of Idroslekh and the Federation for eleven years. In this time, the Döz-Idros hoped, they would be able to rally their forces, establish a strong military presence in the isthmus, and so hold it firm against the tide of the Legions. The Marnic Conquest This failed rather spectacularly when, in MY 219, the armistice ended with a naval attack from the south by the Ishkula. The Unchained had been spending the last twenty-five years exploring and settling the southern swamps without concern for lands beyond their borders, and so the warriors at Najivano had had no expectation that an attack would come from them. The Döz-Idros moved the bulk of their soldiers south to drive back the Ishkula attack, and so their eastern frontier was left critically weakened as the Legions came marching in. Quickly realising the scale of the disaster, the Döz-Idros leaders surrendered as soon as they were able, having lost thousands of soldiers already, and ceded the isthmus to the Federal forces. Virtually all of what is today the Satrapy was surrendered in the treaty, which the Döz-Idros couched in generous terms in the hopes that this would prevent a Marnic invasion of their own lands for several generations (and in this, they were successful). Due to the presence of the Ishkula in the conquering force, it was found that the name “Najvirianul” was somewhat trying for the tongue, and so it was transmuted to “Najivano”, which was agreeable for all. Under its new Marnic governance, the markets at the heart of Najivano were transformed by legionaries-cum-labourers, who built walls, stone streets, and fortifications (as they did everywhere). With a deft understanding of the particularly delicate and precious nature of the isthmus as an axis of trade, the neighbouring governor of Varjupras Province chose not to incorporate the territory into his district, but instead (under the lenient guidance of the Senates) established the office of the Satrap, which he chose from the native population of the region. He wished to assure the loyalty of the region, such that it would have no troubles with insurrection, and he did this by giving the natives a wide measure of self-governance. The Days of Glory As the years passed through the third century MY, the markets at Najivano blossomed with traders from eastern Kerlonna, who increasingly were members of but one nation. As the Federation inexorably spread, so travel across the eastern regions of the continent increased, bringing ever more commerce to the then-western frontier of the nation. Already Najivano had begun to develop its cosmopolitan flavour: though most of the foreigners were ethnically Marnic, there were many other foreigners as well, and even non-humans that benefited from the order that Marnoz had established. Some of these foreign traders began to settle in the city itself, using their accumulated assets to buy their way into titles of nobility. Though far smaller and more ramshackle than the Mother of the World, Najivano grew much faster than she, from a settlement of barely two thousand in MY 220 to one hundred and three thousand in MY 250. Its growth continued at this breakneck pace for several decades more, becoming swollen with settlers. Eventually it began to crystallise into its modern structure by MY 300, and its population settled at a stunning two hundred thousand: the largest city beyond the Tlankuram by far. The period between MY 300 and the Unstained Conquest in MY 344 was one of both vigilance and opulence. Ever watchful of an attack from the west, the merchants and legionaries of the Satrapy nonetheless set about turning it into not just a place of wealth, but of strength. The merchant-princes had established by this time their own retreat at the centre of the city that became known as Eversnow, where they set about establishing patronages throughout the city with particular artisans, artists, and gardeners, to transform their district into a place of grandeur and beauty on the Federal frontier. The Satrap and this new “Estate” worked closely to cultivate the markets of Najivano, collecting tax in ingenious manners, such that although the merchants did not know it, the rulers of Najivano were becoming some of the wealthiest men in the realm simply by their tolls. With this money, the Estate then scattered largesse back into the population, giving farmers new tools, digging canals, and building new districts of housing for the influx of immigrants to the Satrapy. The legionaries built elaborate defences in the city, excavating catacombs (in which to cache weaponry), erecting towers, and laying roads throughout the rural regions beyond in the event of a Döz-Idros attack. The attack never came, but throughout the centuries, the Najivani maintained these defences, even when they became anachronisms at the height of the Federation’s power and bliss, and this was what would one day deliver them from the verge of annihilation. After Idroslekh suddenly and totally surrendered its sovereignty to the Federation in the Unstained Conquest, many Najivani chose to travel westwards to the new frontier around what is now Nevaiallan, but others remained within it. In this new age of optimism and peace across the continent, Najivano prospered to a fabulous degree. Ludicrous sums of currency were exchanged and taxed. Statuary of the Estate’s noblest members blossomed in Eversnow. What is now the Warren spread like a living thing, its streets winding through what was previously farmland, while beyond the city, the forests were felled and the swamps filled to make way for a new pastoral landscape. Najivano became a name known across the Federation as synonymous with tumultuous noise, extravagant riches, and cutthroat shadows. As the Federation prospered, so did the Satrapy. There is little to say of it during the Great Peace, for such tales of prosperity and splendour are told across the land of that time, not in the Satrapy alone. War Stirs When the shadows of the orcs first fell on the northeastern frontier, the Najivani, as most everyone else within the Federation, paid them very little attention, thinking it but a border raid comparable to those fought against Taur’Sutij in the southwest or the Duhumor in the east. However, as the orcs began to spread across the north, the Najivani were among the first to notice that the flow of merchants was slowing at the wrong time of year, and becoming almost lost in the winter. The Satrap at that time, a lowborn Marnic named Simvara, was among the first to assess that the orcs were a far greater threat than the Senates in Marnoz yet realised. Simvara immediately began drilling the native people and turning them into a militia, and he eagerly studied news of the outcast general, Yenatar Malkerian. In FY 4, Najivano was subject to its first orcish attack, a raid from the northern coast, which shook the confidence of the legionaries stationed there while hardening the resolve of Simvara. He constructed a massive wall around the city proper, and peppered the rural regions with fortresses to which the peasantry might flee during an attack. He braced himself for the storm, and as the markets of Najivano became unnaturally quiet, he knew that the worst was still beyond the horizon. Though the number of legionaries stationed in Najivano had been slowly slipping downwards since the Great Orc-Wars began, it was not until FY 10, in the catastrophic aftermath of the Fall of Marnoz, that Simvara realised that he was now utterly alone, struggling in an anachronistic office to save his people and himself from extermination. The Estate was disunited and afraid, for they were traders, not warrior-kings: the orcs would accept no bribery from them, but would only laugh and gut them anyway, should the savages overwhelm the city. To rally the support of the Estate, Simvara announced that, with the destruction of the office of the Governor of Varjupras Province, the Satrap would be chosen not by appointment from that individual, but by appointment from the previous Satrap, from the ranks of the native populace. Furthermore, he ordered that all members of the Estate, as well as the Satrap, use their personal funds to hire mercenary former legionaries to defend the city. Almost at once, a vast pool of wealth was established by the frightened merchant-princes, and with it, the Satrap recruited thousands of military experts, who worked in tandem with the native militia to repulse dozens of orcish attacks. The mercenaries fought with such iron determination (on a golden foundation) that orcs began to name Najivano “the blood mire.” During the darkest period of the Great Orc-Wars, as Yenatar travelled across the land to assemble his New Legions, the Najivani not only entirely pushed orcs out of their territory, but began renting their militia out to the city of Varpus and the like, raking in wealth even in the shadow of ruin. When Yenatar marched to the city and asked for their aid, Simvara privately explained to the Lord Malkerian that he could not afford to give up soldiers. He planned to ultimately establish these mercenaries as the hired soldiers of Najivano in perpetuity, and if they wandered beyond his grasp he might lose the opportunity to construct a military, and the Satrapy would disintegrate. However, he agreed to give a huge amount of financial and material support to the New Legions, enough to offset the conspicuous lack of troops supplied. The Free Era begins Thus it was that Yenatar triumphed, breaking the spine of orcish resistance upon the reddened waves of Serlau in FY 16. Though all of Kerlonnic humanity celebrated, Najivano was especially glad, for though it had lost two of its ports and a great number of citizens, the orcs had never managed to destroy their infrastructure, or attack the city proper. As trade slowly began to revive, a new era had dawned, and though Najivano found itself curiously alone in the world, it was a stronger and prouder realm than it had been. Simvara died in FY 19, and in memory of his aid, Sraiyag Vacan formally recognised the Satrapy as an independent state. A year later, Ishkula and Drecitou followed, establishing their embassies in the Strangers’ Quarter. Simvara became enshrined as “the Great,” and among the low people of Najivano (and later even members of the Estate), he was apotheosised to the lofty status of patron god of the Satrapy. As the years passed, Najivano revived quickly. Though the city proper never returned to quite the same stunning crowdedness of the Federal Era, the rural region rejuvenated as refugees from across Kerlonna flocked to the Crossroads. Barring the Sutiji affair in FY 105, there has been no real conflict between Najivano and another people until today. However, as Ł’eŕ Grimţooģ has risen to power to the west, some among the Estate have grown darkly displeased, for he has brought peace to a region that once was hungry for their hired swords. Whether this will lead Najivano down a new dark road to a struggle against the Lord-of-Tribes, or will be defused before it comes to that, is uncertain. However, for now in the Satrapy there is peace beyond price. Military The Najivani military is not as glorious as that of Sraiyag Vacan nor as terrifying as that of Ishkula, for they are not attempting to create some mystique around themselves. Like Najivano itself, the members of the Silver Brothers, as the army is known, are not motivated by grand ideals, but by simple desires: independence and money. They are professionally paid and trained, with no patience for amateurish tactics or wasteful use of resources. All Silver Brothers are Najivani citizens, and some have, in fact, gained their citizenship by joining the army after coming from a foreign land. They are cool-headed and competent, and they are certainly worth the steep price required to hire them. The military is like that of Drecitou, insofar as each major member of the Estate commands a particular part of the Silver Brothers as his personal group of soldiers. However, unlike Drecitou, where the soldiers are bonded to their lords by bloodlines, the soldiers of Najivano are rather more like employees of their particular lord, rather than his vassals. In turn, the Satrap commands the Estate, and he technically has the right to directly assume control of the military. However, that is only exercised in vanishingly rare instances, such as uprisings within the city or a (hypothetical) attack upon the Satrapy by a foreign power. The Silver Brothers are approximately twenty-five thousand in number, and are a multi-racial organisation: half-orcs in particular find that their heritage is a unique asset within the army, which has no policies of discrimination against such folk.